EERE Support Yields Breakthrough in Manufacturing of Triple Pane, R-5 Energy Efficient Windows

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Support from the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) has been instrumental in GED Integrated Solutions achieving a breakthrough in the manufacturing of energy-efficient residential windows. A worldwide supplier of insulating glass and vinyl window and door manufacturing systems, GED’s Automated Tri-Lite Assembly System (ATLAS) produces a triple pane insulating glass window unit in 20 seconds. Conventional systems can take two minutes or longer, according to an EERE news release.

GED introduced ATLAS last September, having been awarded a $1.2+ million from the DOE for “development of a high volume, efficient manufacturing system to build high performance, energy-saving insulating glass units for residential windows.”

The award follows through on the DOE-EERE’s mandate to enhance the competitiveness of US manufacturers. In doing so, EERE is partnering with companies like GED to “commercialize and deploy cutting-edge building technologies that will help boost competitiveness in the U.S. manufacturing industry, create jobs for American workers, and save money for families.”

PPG Industries, a market-leading US glass manufacturer and developer of advanced window technologies, helped GED with unit design support and analytical testing. PPG’s also the first to commission an ATLAS unit in order to validate its performance in a commercial production environment.

Two additional key attributes of ATLAS are that it can be installed in “most existing window manufacturing facilities and produce a variety of different sized windows.”

Factor R-5

Rated the most energy efficient of windows (typically R-5/U-factor 0.2), triple pane windows can reduce average heat loss by more than 30%, according to the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

PNNL has been working with window industry participants for the past few years to connect manufacturers and distributors of high performance, energy efficient windows with home builders, weatherization agencies, educational institutions and others capable of making high-volume purchases.

A B2B “Highly Insulating and Low-E Storm Windows Volume Purchase Program” website was launched in May 2010 that enables prospective buyers to shop for and order such windows from more than 30 manufacturers who have met program requirements.